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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — of ice
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cap — a hat
  10. club — for golf
  11. game — a match
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cap — a lid
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. drill — a practice
  19. craft — boats
  20. club — a group
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com